To think this client is being unreasonable? (Cleaner)

[Cactusjelly00]

I'm a cleaner, don't work for an agency completely self employed. It's a fairly recent start up because I need to find some extra money for some legal expenses.
I work for this one lady that, in a nut shell,
Doesn't believe she should do any cleaning in the time I'm not there.
For context I go Monday and Thursday in week 1, Monday only in week 2, alternating like that. I go for 2hrs per time and it's a 5 bed 4 bath house.

Whenever I'm not there even basic cleaning isn't done,
Such as laundry left out on the floor, dishes in the sink, on the sides and in the living room. Dirty nappies littered around and down the side of the sofa. Cat litter trays not emptied sometimes. This isn't the kind of thing I do (except maybe the litter trays if pre agreed; this wasn't)

Now; I thought something like this would happen so I have an info leaflet I give to customers prior to accepting a job that states my role, what I do and don't do (for eg don't do ironing but will hang out washing if already washed but not dry, don't do dishes or "daily" cleaning type things, more like mopping cleaning the sides vacuuming cleaning toilets bath and showers) I have tried to raise this with the client but she has got very antsy about it, said that she shouldn't have to clean and hire a cleaner... She has already paid for this month so I will fulfil that but would I be U a to leave afterwards?
She pays well and is otherwise generous and kind, but she doesn't see the problem in that it's not what I do.
In addition she has also said that if I don't have enough time to clean down the kitchen once I've done dishes or similar I can go home or get paid for the extra hours. I still don't want to do this.

Dh thinks I'd be U as she's offering to pay extra so
Tell me, Aibu?

THAT SAID, you should at least discuss this with her. Maybe she will pay you more and you can accommodate

It depends on whether on not she is paying you a reasonable rate for the work you get done in the time. But it sounds as if she needs somebody in for three hours three times a week with the amount of mess she is leaving and the size of the house. Four hours per week is nowhere near long enough. I'd tell her to find somebody else. don't be a mug.

Omg this phone. I keep hitting enter too early.
Anyways!
I used to have a cleaner and she was amazing, she used to tell me not to do XYZ as she would do it. She would do absolutely everything and be happy to do it, as she enjoyed her job and didn’t make me feel bad (after all, I had help because I needed it at the time.) this is the kind of thing you need to be doing imo - and if it’s too much (which I understand completely it is for you, my SILs cleaner was the same) then talk to her and discuss a pay rise? I’ll be hiring the same cleaner again for sure when I have this baby, because of how accommodating she was

YANBU at all!

I say this because my parents owned a domestic cleaning business and I used to work there in the summer holidays. Every single customer (there was a LOT) were so nice and polite to us, expect this one house similar to your house, big, 5 bedrooms, loads of bathrooms. We went in once a week and from the moment we left to the moment we next came back this family didn't do a single thing! They did not even empty the bins, they just left them over flowing, no wiping down of kitchen surfaces so there was a weeks work of crumbs there, they would leave a huge amoun of washing up so we had to tackle all that before even attempting to clean the kitchen and use the sink, they had three children that in my opinion were old enough to tidy but again they didn't lift a finger, left all their dirty laundry on the floor so we had to spend time picking up after them before we could even see the floor to hoover.

And they had the audacity to complain that we weren't up to scatch when in reality we used to run around like headless chickens trying to get it all done and we were ALWAYS late to the next client after this house.

My Dad's partner who was in charge of the business at the time ended up telling them that they needed a house keeper and we couldn't fulfil their needs.

You're a cleaner not a skivvy! You shouldn't have to spend time picking up after them your job is to clean the house not clean the house and every single possession in the house on top of that.

It depends how much you need the money. If you need it accept the extra money and extra hours. If not, tell her she needs a house keeper.

Your a cleaner not a slave that’s disgraceful behaviour leaving dirty nappies on the floor like that it’s grim I would leave your worth more than that.

You're not unreasonable as you are self employed you decide what work you take on and what you don't.

I don't really see the issue with doing the dishes myself, but if you don't want to you don't want to.

My cleaner also quit a customer due to dirty nappies, clothes everywhere. It was horrific.

For me , I think th decision would be based on how much I need the money and if I had waiting clients who would fill the hours I was going to lose.

Just give her a quote for how much it will cost when you visit, how long it will take you to do everything.
She might start doing more if she realises how long it will take and cost.

Failing this, just do what you set out to do and if you can't do the job because you can't get to vacuum because of the mess, then you don't vacuum. She still pays.

Tbh this is the reason we don't have a cleaner, the idea of cleaning up and tidying before they come seems counterproductive.
Why have a cleaner if you have to clean yourself?

The way I see it, my cleaner is here to help me clean and not to tidy up after me. I do my best to tidy everything away before she arrives and will clean areas like the kitchen on a daily basis in between her visits so she just does a proper or deep clean when she's here. The most washing up she's had to do for me is a couple of mugs and a plate, for example.

Your client obviously doesn't understand the concept of having a cleaner and I agree with pp who've said it sounds like she needs a housekeeper and not a cleaner.

Don't even get me started on the cat litter trays, those poor cats!

YANBU to ditch this client.

She has hired a cleaner and has a perception of the type of work the cleaner should do.

You are a cleaner and have a different perception.

If you are not willing to change your perception, you cannot expect to change hers, so it is easiest for you just to refund her for service not yet provided, leave and allow her to find someone else.

Mil does some cleaning/housekeeping. Her clients expect different things and she’s agreed hours and differing hourly rates accordingly. She’s been open about that with her clients. The client that basically wants a housekeeper now has her in for two hours 4 or 5 days each week. That seems to work well but it took some time to get the balance right. For her “housekeeping” client she absolutely would wash up or load/unload the dishwasher and would stick a wash on etc. They do still do dishes etc the three days that she isn’t there though... Other clients want bedding changed which she is happy to do, or ironing done (which can be done at home and which is a different rate to her cleaning) or want straightforward cleaning. She’s happy to do that on her terms. It sounds to me as though (with the exception of the nappies, which are grim) no one is being especially unreasonable here, there’s just a mismatch. If it really isn’t working for you then you are (of course!) free to give notice.

Can I ask what the problem is? If she needs a housekeeper and you can do it, what’s the real difference? She’s providing you with hours for a not too dissimilar job..

The best cleaner I had was when the kids were v small. She'd do random greatness, e.g. re-organise the Lego etc.

Sadly since I moved, I've learned that cleaners are generally good at cleaning or good at tidying, never both. I have to have my house very tidy before my cleaner comes or things (e.g. random eraser my kid left out before school) get fired into random boxes or drawers and break.

My ideal is one who does both well and am willing to pay, but don't think they exist.

Worriedmum, how much would you pay for that? (Nosey !)

Add the hrs and get more pay or leave. She’s dirty though leaving soiled nappies around ??? Yuk

I pay £12-15 for a housekeeper who just mucks in and does what needs to be done as and when we need it. £12 if it’s thru an agency as they then get £3 from us for every hr the HK works. And £15 if I recruit them direct.

We struggle finding them tho as HK round here are like gold dust and can choose their jobs (and sometimes price - I was quoted £22 per hour from one agency).

Maybe you could suggest a better schedule for her, maybe 2 hours per day if she wants someone to keep on top of everything for her? You would both benefit from such an arrangement? If you were there everyday (mon-fri) it would be more manageable and not such a build up of mess/clutter.

I’m a self employed cleaner, have been for 7 years

Your client is absolutely disgusting 🤮 sorting out cat litter and shitty nappies is above and beyond the call of duty

Apart from the gross nappies I dont see the issue. She has said she will pay for more hours to cover the extra tasks, do you not want the extra work/money? If not just say no but I don’t think she’s unreasonable to offer you extra work.

Our cleaner is amazing - I try to leave things as tidy as I can for her btw. She just whizzes through the cleaning and then because she often has extra time she does extras like changing bedlinen and tidying kids’ rooms and putting laundry away and unloading dishwasher - I don’t ask, she just does it. I feel very lucky, I know she is exceptional. We pay her £14/hour.

Cat litter is also not ok though imho

I quit my client as she had no respect for me

1. Daughter pants and clothes all over floor
2. No basic cleaning done in kitchens
3. Washing up always piled up or dishwasher needing emptying filljng etc.

4 sanitary towels not wrapped up and left in bathroom bin for so long the smell made me gag The kitchen took me so long I had little time for other jobs

I did it for 8 months and could take it anymore. Money wasn't worth it.

Good cleaners are hard to get. Quit and go elsewhere. She sounds rank!!!

Changing bedding isn't unusual to ask of a cleaner is it? I would think that's a fairly standard cleaning task. Everywhere i ever cleaned that was part of my duties.

My cleaners will change bedding if I ask (I just leave out the clean bedding) however it's not a priority for me - I'd rather they focused on other things that were cleaning rather than house keeping orientated.

Each to their own....

The issue in this case soiled nappies aside which is just bloody gross is a miss match in expectations.

Personally one thing I like about having cleaners is the incentive it gives to keep the house tidy.

I'm not a prude but I am shocked at people being happy to have someone in their home being faced with dirty laundry on the floor, being expected to deal with used sanipro and nappies.

I'm less shocked about washing up tbh, but again I want my cleaners to clean - not be spending time loading the dishwasher or picking up my children's clothes of the floor because they couldn't be bothered to tidy them. Not a great life lesson tbh.

That's odd isn't it, because i'd really hate to do someone else washing up and i'd never leave mine, but i'd have no (and didn't have any) problem picking up dry clothes strewn on the floor meant for the laundry bin and we do leave it on the floor in our house (well i say we...)

@MrsKoala

You're self employed, you've written out what you will and won't do prior to the agreement. Its not up to anyone else to tell you what to expect of a cleaner, she's agreed to pay you for what you've advertised for. If you don't feel comfortable with certain jobs (as you haven't agreed to them before starting) then don't do it. It's YOUR business, do what you're comfortable with. Explain to her that you don't do certain things which you stated before starting and if she says she will pay you more to pick up the nappies etc then that's obviously your decision. I wouldn't be picking up nappies to be honest, is she physically not capable of picking them up herself?
Doesn't sound like a healthy environment for children to be being brought up in if she's going a week without putting nappies in the bin and cleaning out a litter tray!!
I get paying someone to clean for you if you've got the money to spend but not putting a nappy in the bin is just plan lazy as is not picking clothes up off the floor - disgusting x